Modern Mechanix

EAST INDIAN MERRY-GO-ROUND (Feb, 1929)

2009-07-09T14:31:56Z

EAST INDIAN MERRY-GO-ROUND
ONE of the most popular sports for young people in India is riding in merry-go-rounds of the type shown in the photograph. It seems to American eyes to he a crude imitation of the Ferris wheels which are so popular in amusement parks. Four chairs are suspended from X-like cross pieces which are mounted on uprights. The device is propelled by man power, and when it gets into action its squeaks can be heard for a long distance, since the axles are never greased. A group of Indian children are shown waiting their turn to ride.

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Crossing The Atlantic (Feb, 1946)

2009-07-09T14:31:36Z

Crossing The Atlantic in this overgrown barrel is the intention of Peter Olsen and Mark Charlton. Their $2,500 tub is 10 feet long; 6 feet, 9 inches high at the bilge; weighs more than two tons; and has a four-foot, 700-pound keel and a four-foot rudder. A 22-foot mast fits into the foremost hole of the barrel.

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TV camera gets power from battery pack (Apr, 1964)

2009-07-09T14:31:23Z

TV camera gets power from battery pack

Using a new portable TV camera and battery pack, a telecaster no longer has to drag power cables behind him. All he needs for audio and video transmission to a booster unit a mile away is the five-pound camera in his hands and the 25-pound power pack on his back.

The Newschief system was modified, with the help of American Broadcasting Co. engineers, from Sylvania’s closed-circuit transistor apparatus. The back pack contains transmitter, broadcasting equipment, and a nickel-cadmium battery good for an hour. While it is being recharged, a new battery can be clipped on without loss of signal.

ABC-TV used the News-chief first to telecast the Olympics at Innsbruck, Austria, last winter, and will use it at the national conventions. RCA and NBC are developing a similar portable system.

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Talking Devices are Revolutionizing Movies! (Feb, 1929)

2009-07-09T14:31:20Z

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Talking Devices are Revolutionizing Movies!

By GEORGE C. HENDERSON

MILLIONS of dollars are being spent by movie magnates in equipping studios for the production of talking pictures. Mr. Henderson visited a “talkie” in the making and in this article gives a fascinating glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes.

THEY’VE got to wear sneakers on their cowboy boots in moviedom now. The yelling director has been stricken dumb. His megaphone has gone back to the prop room. The big fellow with the blasting voice is outside the gates looking in, on the “extra list.” They say he “bloops.” The little lady who speaks with a hissing sibilance is out there with the blooper. She is called a “sizzler.” The hollow-voiced tragedian is told that his tones are “tubby” (as if he were speaking into a tub) and if he cannot correct the defect, he goes out too. Weak voiced persons “get the gate” with those above mentioned. They are called “juice suckers.”

They’ve invented a new lingo in Hollywood since the talking motion picture became the vogue. The human side of the big change has attracted first attention and. this lingo has singled out defects that become magnified on the microphone and make the actor or actress ineligible in the talkies.

But changes in personnel have been few and inexpensive compared with the vast outlay in the mechanical and technical end. The fact is most stars, through voice culture and otherwise, can make good in the sound drama. A few who are “mike dumb” have had to be relegated to the silent screen. This is not so bad as it sounds. All pictures are taken first on the lot in the regular way, where voices do not count. The film is then run off and the executives decide where talking sequences will be inserted. Only important portions of the picture are re-shot in the sound-proof stages.

After the executives have selected the portions to be re-shot, one of the editorial staff is called in to write the “talking sequences.” This is the conversation. He must give the matter great care. Sometimes he takes weeks for it. The dialogue must not only be snappy, interesting, dramatic and to the point; it must be entirely free of certain words. The letter S should occur rarely at the beginning or the end of a word. If a “sizzler” were to try to say, “Sister Susie’s sewing shirts for soldiers” it would reproduce as one long continuous hiss after the voice-recording apparatus had got through with it.

Next come the rehearsals. Everything is rehearsed to perfection. There can be no prompting once the two ton doors are closed and the director becomes a silent spectator. Slurred speech, excess movement which means excess noise, the rustle of paper which makes a noise like thunder in the microphone, the pouring of a glass of water which becomes a loud “blop—blop —blop,” the scraping of a chair leg over the floor, thus drowning out every other sound—all these little things must he prevented or arranged.

I watched them rehearse and film a scene at one of the big Hollywood studios (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). The set, which was like any other movie set in outward appearance except for the microphones hanging overhead and standing about, was located in a great concrete, sound-proof building. The construction of the building itself had been supervised by scientists. The walls were 8 inch thick concrete. Over that was a three inch layer of balsam wool, a half inch layer of acoustic plaster and a hanging of cheese cloth fastened on with chicken wire. The first sound stages were made by hanging felt against wooden walls. This would cut out the high notes but would not damp the low ones. The balsam wool in the new-structure shuts out the high notes, the rigid concrete the low and the acoustic plaster the medium notes. The floor was made of layers of concrete, sand, cork and two thicknesses of wooden floor. The cork absorbs mechanical vibrations from the ground.

It is very difficult to gain entrance. Even after everything had been arranged a policeman stopped us. It had been found expensive to admit visitors. They talked or scraped their feet and hundreds of dollars worth of work had to be done over again. Getting past the policeman, we came upon a scene of great animation. Here was a great vaulted room, cluttered up with big, powerful lights, the floor covered with wires, boxes and instruments and apparatus scattered everywhere, electricians, technicians, carpenters and roustabouts hurrying back and forth, men on girders overhead manning the overhead cranes that shifted heavy objects from one place to another. And right in the midst of it all an orderly little room furnished with fine carpets and drapes, chairs and divans—the set. Here the actors and actresses moved in range of the camera.

But where was the camera? We found it in a refrigerator-like vault, looking out on the set through double plate glass of the finest German make. Johnny Arnold, the camera man, explained that he had to enter this sound-proof vault and close the big heavy door to keep the clicking of his camera from registering in the microphone. It was hot in there, Johnny was perspiring. He said it made a camera man’s job harder because he couldn’t take any orders from the director.

Electrical engineers and acoustic experts were getting their apparatus set. A baritone walked around the set singing selections from an Italian opera to test the stage at every point. Another went around clapping his hands. The technicians were listening in, watching their recording de- vices as these tests were made. Rehearsals were completed.

“Ready for interlock,” said Director Van Dyke to the switch board operator. The operator flashed signal lights. The camera motor, the recorder motor and the test record motor all were synchronized on a master distributor when an expert at the recording building threw a switch. The operator on the stage received the report, “interlock O.K.” Arnold, the camera man, reported, “camera O.K.”

The stage switchboard man pressed a switch which threw on a green light, the signal that camera was ready. In the room where the recording apparatus set, the expert switched on, a white light. That meant the recording machine was set, that he had a wax record on the test machine and that the film making machine was all right.

Arnold entered his booth and closed the door. It was so hot and stuffy in there that he did not enter it until the last moment. The actor and actress, Nils Asther and Raquel Torres, took their seats at the table where they were to speak the love scene. The director took up a position off the set, out of range of the camera, but so that he could signal to Arnold. He watched Arnold throw on the motor and caught his signal. He snapped his fingers.

Suddenly the actor and actress began to talk. A snap of the finger set things to moving. There were no shouts of “Ready,” “Action,” “Camera,” no waving of megaphones, no lurid denunciations. The director dare not move. He was afraid to un-wrinkle the scowl on his face for fear it would crackle in the megaphone.

At the “mixer panel” overhead, two operators sat with earphones over their ears. They were reminders that this was an engineer’s job. The director, who had been all powerful, had to give way to scientists. These operators listened intently to the voices. When they began to get faint, they turned knobs to raise the volume. As the actress turned toward the microphone they decreased the volume; when she turned away they increased it. They had to watch every movement. In his sound-proof room Johnny Arnold was turning his camera, unheard, as if he were in another world. The actor and actress went through the scene without interruption, as if they were alone in a garden really making love.

They stopped talking, Director Van Dyke motioned to Arnold. Signal lights flashed. The synchronized motors operating the camera, the recording device and the test record all were halted instantly. Johnny Arnold flung open the door of his refrigerator and stepped out, wiping his brow. The man in the recording room had thrown off the interlock, placed the test record on the reproducer and taken the film from the recording machine and placed it in a box to go to the laboratory.

“Give me a playback,” said Director Van Dyke. That meant he wanted to hear how the voices recorded. “Give me a playback,” repeated the switchboard operator.

There was a general exodus into a room arranged like a theater, the monitor room. It was built like a theater so that the director could hear the voices as an audience would hear them. Everyone took seats. Up in the recording room, the man there put on the soft test record which ho had made and which can be played but once. Voices began to speak again. Through the horns we heard what had been said on the stage.

At one point in pronouncing a word, one of the speakers had slurred it.

“Take it over again,” ordered the director. Just for one word mispronounced the whole scene had to be re-taken.

It is impossible to estimate the thousands upon thousands of dollars that have been spent by the motion picture people for equipment, buildings, machinery and for experiment in this business of adapting the industry to the talkies. At this one studio two stages, each measuring 98 by 70 feet and constructed of the expensive, soundproof material have already been built. The recording building has 12,000 feet of floor space, the monitor room, 3,500 square feet. In the recording room were four separate recording machines, the battery rooms, cutting rooms, projection rooms equipped with the latest simplex projectors arranged for both record and light ray sound projection, elaborate switchboard equipment, power house installation and modulators necessary to handle sound recording.

Every bit of “juice” used on the soundproof stage comes from batteries. The regular line supply varies too much for the exceedingly fine work required of these machines.

Moving picture men admit that their big investments have only begun. They expect developments in the talkie industry that will mean the expenditure of additional millions for several years to come.

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NEW IMPORTS FOR ‘59 (Oct, 1958)

2009-07-07T11:07:53Z

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NEW IMPORTS FOR ‘59
JAPAN is leading with a heavyweight in its first attempt to sell cars in the U. S. Now on sale in California and soon to be available throughout the country is the Toyopet, made by the Toyota Motor Co., Tokyo. Both four-door sedan and station wagon are offered with the boast: “Big car comfort with little car economy.” The Toyopet has a four-cylinder, OHV engine with 88.66 cu. in. displacement. Maximum hp is 60 at 4,-400 rpm. Delivered with heater, white walls, dual sun visors, set of tools, etc., the price in L.A. is $2,222, plus tax. •

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There’s Still Room For The Fireman (Feb, 1940)

2009-07-07T11:07:26Z

There’s Still Room For The Fireman
WARTIME scarcity of gasoline, or “petrol” if you’re English, has caused Britain’s inventors to work overtime perfecting cars which will run on other substances. This car, seen in Worcester has been adopted to run on anthracite. The car is first started with petrol, and after about two minutes running is switched over to the anthracite. Consumption, it is claimed, is about 120 miles to a bag of anthracite.

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Your Own Mail Order Busines (Oct, 1958)

2009-07-07T11:07:09Z

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Your Own Mail Order Business

By John Winkler

When Arthur Johnson decided to earn some extra cash during his spare time he chose the mail order business because it could be run right from his own home. He reasoned that it was one of the few fields still open in which you could start your own business with a minimum of capital. In fact, his total investment was less than $100.00.

What began as a spare time job mushroomed into a profitable full-time business.

How successful was Johnson? Well, he drives a Cadillac convertible, owns a home in Nevada and a summer place in Florida, with a Cris-Craft cruiser to boot!

No, Johnson didn’t find Uranium or answer the $64,000 question. He simply cashed in on the fabulous mail order business—with the help of one of the new mail order organizations which back enterprising new comers to the mail order business.

Like so many other beginners in this field, Johnson was plagued with the problem of finding the ‘ideal’ mail order product. One that would have a large market, offer a good profit margin, bring repeat sales, and one which could be easily shipped by mail. After reading several books and courses on the subject, it seemed impossible. In order to obtain wholesale prices from manufacturers he had to purchase large quantities, which meant all his capital would be spent in inventory. The additional cost of sales letters and advertising and the risk of picking a poor mail order product and being stuck with all that merchandise made it even more obvious he’d have little chance of success.

Then he heard about Mail Order Associates of Maywood, New Jersey—an organization set up to aid the small mail order operator.

He wrote to M.O.A. for full information, sent in his application for a franchise and within three months the profits started pouring in.

Johnson attributes his success to the large selection of novel and unusual mail order products carried by M.O.A.

Mail Order Associates is one of the few new pioneers in the fabulous mail order business. One of the first organizations formed to put the small mail order operator in business—big business, they fill a definite need for the beginner with little capital. Here’s what they offer you: (1) Complete, ready-to-mail catalogs printed with your name and address … in any quantity you wish. Catalogs, sales letters or self mailers may be based on any of the following typical categories: BABY GIFTS AND NOVELTIES VITAMINS INSTRUCTION BOOKLETS AND COURSES COSMETICS You select your own market.

(2) Profits range from 50% to 150% on most items. For example, you may sell a $20.00 mail order course and make $10.00 on each sale. Or you sell two appliances at a discount, give one away free and still make a 50% overall profit!

(3) Everything is drop-shipped for you. You have no merchandise to carry—no capital tied up in inventory. All merchandise is stocked and shipped for you by Mail Order Associates or the manufacturer. You forward orders and your own shipping labels to M.O.A. and all merchandise is sent direct to your customer—using YOUR OWN LABEL (4) Up to date mailing lists are made available to you. Lists of proven mail order buyers are compiled for the market you select. Records are kept so that no two distributors use the same names. All names are supplied on gummed labels—all you do is apply them to your catalogs.

(5) A consultation service is provided to answer any questions you may have. In addition, you’re supplied with a list of leading national magazines that provide free editorial write-ups. You’re even given form letters to use to obtain free advertising of your products from these magazines.

(6) Your choice of at least four new mail order programs during the year. One may be a catalog of baby items, another on household gadgets, etc. You may select one or as many as you can handle.

Here’s how they operate: Unlike the individual mail order dealer who looks for the ideal product, M.O.A. searches the market first! After making surveys and tests to determine a profitable mail order market, they select the products to suit the market. For example, the market of selling baby items to new mothers is a big one. Over four million babies are born in the U. S. each year. This is the first step in selecting a mass market for their franchised dealers. Then comes the selection of products to suit this market. They contact every manufacturer of products sold to new mothers. From thousands of items offered by various companies, only those suit- able for mail order are selected for preliminary tests. The final survey is made for new novelties and products not yet manufactured! If they feel certain ideas for new products have merit, they’ll manufacture the items on a royalty basis and produce them for their dealers exclusively!

From this preliminary selection of new mail order products suited to this particular market, they make actual tests to see which items will sell and produce the greatest profit for their franchised dealers. Having finally selected the best products they begin layout and artwork on a new mail order catalog for their dealers. The final catalog may consist of a small 6×9 brochure, a large 8V2 x 11 illustrated booklet or even a small one page self-mailer, depending upon the market and selection of products. Sales letters are prepared by experienced copy writers, and the complete job—layout, copy and printing is done by experts to produce professional results.

By purchasing merchandise in large quantities and running catalogs on large presses, they are able to offer their dealers complete backing at a fraction of the cost the individual would have to pay for the same job.

The final step is to supply the franchised dealers with names of prospective customers! In this particular example, they would make available the names and addresses of over 7000 new mothers every day!

Although many mail order firms use magazines and newspapers to advertise single items, the larger established firms have proven that direct mailings to prospective customers and previous mail order buyers is far more profitable.

A notice is then sent to all franchise holders explaining in detail the complete sales program for the particular market covered. The dealers then have the option to accept the offer or wait for a complete new sales program set up for a new market. At least four complete new sales programs are prepared by Mail Order Associates each year.

If the dealer decides to go ahead he may begin ordering catalogs (his personal name or business name is printed on all sales literature), and mailing them to his lists of prospective customers. As he receives orders for merchandise he simply forwards the orders together with addressed shipping labels to M.O.A. and they fill the orders and mail direct to his customers with the dealer’s shipping label attached to each parcel. In some cases M.O.A. prepares a catalog of merchandise which manufacturers have agreed to drop-ship for the dealer. Mail Order Associates simply turns over this list of firms to the dealer and he works directly with the manufacturer. The customer pays the dealer the retail price of each item in the catalog. The dealer in turn pays M.O.A. or the manufacturer only the wholesale price of each item and pockets the difference—which really adds up when you mail a few hundred catalogs a week.

The operation of Mail Order Associates is based on a small margin or profit, but tremendous volume, which spells BIG PROFITS FOR ITS FRANCHISED DEALERS.

According to the U. S. Dept. of Commerce, ‘There is hardly another occupation that requires so little capital as does a small specialized Mail Order business. A number of Mail Order successes which piled up fortunes for the owners were started with very little capital. In each case, the proprietor began on a small scale and grew with the business.” This same Government Report also states, “There are a large number of one-man mail order enterprises in this country which are paying their owners far more than a comfortable living. A number of the most successful obtain an income as high as $40,000 to $50,000.” That’s what the U. S. Government says about the mail order business!

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NEW on the ROAD (Nov, 1949)

2009-07-07T11:06:49Z

NEW on the ROAD

Cycle Rickshaw is a novelty motorcycle cab which is becoming popular in Germany. Its main virtue is economy—it can make 60 miles on one gallon of gas. Top speed is 31 mph. It was recently exhibited at the Hanover (Germany) Trade Fair and will probably cost $700 when it hits the American markets.

Ruby Austin is the latest tiny auto turned out by Britain’s famous Austin Motor Company. This one, however, is really for babies—it has no motor. Youngsters have to provide their own pedal power. These kiddie vehicles are being made mainly for export and will sell for about $100. Austin Motor Company, 250 West 57 Street, New York, New York.

Auto Tent is a handy portable hotel for sportsmen. It’ll also solve the sleeping problem for ordinary tourists. A ten-foot platform is mounted on the roof of the car with a tent covering which can be folded up, left. It can be fully opened within a minute and a half, lower left. Inside are two regular-size air mattresses, below, for peaceful (and inexpensive) sleeping. Robert Bickel, 1627 Grand Ave., Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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PIPE FOR FALSE TEETH SMOKERS (Feb, 1929)

2009-07-06T16:36:31Z

PIPE FOR FALSE TEETH SMOKERS

PIPE smokers who wear false teeth can now enjoy the use of a pipe with a specially designed mouthpiece which enables it to be held easily in the mouth. The photograph clearly shows the semi-circular projection extending from the pipe stem. This mouthpiece rests along the top of the false teeth and helps to support the pipe in the mouth. It is the invention of an Englishman who designed it originally for his own use and then decided to market his idea when he found how popular and practical the pipe was. The photo was taken at the International Inventions Exhibition recently held at London, where new inventions from all corners of the globe were exhibited.

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Cars That Fly (Oct, 1958)

2009-07-06T16:35:51Z

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Cars That Fly

YOUR car of the future may have no wheels. It may not even touch the road as it races along the turnpike at speeds well above 100 mph while you and your family sit back and enjoy the ride—without fear of accident or injury.

This revolutionary new mode of travel was recently unveiled by the Ford Motor Company in the form of the Glideair—a wheel-less vehicle that rides on a thin film of air a fraction of an inch above the road.

Says Andrew A. Kucher, Ford’s vice president in charge of Engineering and Research: “We look upon Glideair as a new form of high-speed land transportation, probably in the field of rail surface travel, for fast trips of distances of up to about 1,000 miles.” A gas turbine or turbojet engine would supply the power to both levitate and propel the Glideair. Instead of wheels the vehicle would employ “levapads,” a Kucher-coined word. Tiny jets of air would stream through holes in the levapads, supporting the vehicle. It is significant to note that levapads have already been designed to fit around a standard rail. They raise the vehicle from the rail and keep it away from the rail sides.

There are also others with their fingers in the wheel-less vehicle pie. Noted designer Carl Reynolds recently showed off his concept of a car without wheels which he forsees by 1978. Mr. Reynolds says, “The highway cruiser, or large passenger car will float, or literally fly a short distance above the road supported on air compressed by turbine-driven ducted fans.”

“In the wheel-less car,” Reynolds goes on to say, “the driver’s controls will be automated to simplify safe and effortless driving. . . Inter-city expressways will have electronic equipment for driver information as well as for traffic control and guidance… The car without wheels will negotiate fairly rough terrain, even travel over smooth water!”

Piasecki Aircraft Corp. has a Sky Car in the works for the not-too-distant future. It will be an offspring of their 59-K, one of two Flying Jeeps being developed for the Army. The 59-K, which is “well ahead of schedule,” according to the Army, is designed to combine the utility of ground jeeps with the hovering capabilities of small helicopters.

The Sky Car will be the civilian version. It will have no wings or conventional propellers and will be pow- ered by two horizontal three-bladed rotor-props, one at the front and one at the rear, which will support the craft on two columns of air.

Both rotor-props will be shielded for safety and the Sky Car will hold a driver and three passengers. It will be able to fly down narrow streets or get above heavy traffic. It will also have powered wheels to drive it in and out of the garage or congested areas.

According to Piasecki, the Sky Car will cost little more than a high-priced motor car of today.

Ford also envisions what it calls an aero-car. Dubbed the Volante, the vehicle would be powered by means of three fan units arranged in a triangular pattern to provide lift and thrust somewhat like a helicopter.

That’s the story of tomorrow’s vehicles. How soon they’ll appear above the roads is anybody’s guess. Scientists are currently experimenting with the means to power such vehicles. One thing is certain—cars that fly are on the way; you may be parking one in your backyard in just a few short years. •

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Everything in this Meat Market is Made of Candy (Feb, 1929)

2009-07-06T16:35:36Z

Everything in this Meat Market is Made of Candy
ONE of the most unique candy stores in America is the “Candy Meat Market” which is run by Jim Crowe in the loop, Chicago. Here Mr. Crowe is seen posing for a photo in the midst of his candy meats.

Everything in the store, except the actual fixtures, is made of candy. So well are all the meats imitated that the hams smell of that salty tang that is so familiar to all of us. The summer sausage looks like summer sausage, but it isn’t—it’s candy. Not only does all the candy represent some form of meat but it is made to please the palate. At first, Chicago people doubted the reality of these confections, but time and taste have taught them that this store sells “quality goods.”

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VENT SAVES Bank Vault PRISONERS (Feb, 1929)

2009-07-06T16:35:24Z

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VENT SAVES Bank Vault PRISONERS

“STICK ‘EM UP!”

“Now waltz into the vault!”

These commands, ripped out to hapless bank employees as they look into the muzzles of awesome revolvers, will no longer hold the old-time terror.

For to be locked in a vault equipped with the new ventilation device invented by Carl W. Olson, president of the Olson Utility Equipment Corporation of Minneapolis, will not mean danger of lingering death before the time lock can be opened.

Mr. Olson’s device, which can be set into operation from inside the vault in a few seconds, will insure enough live air being drawn inside and sufficient carbon dioxide to be expelled to permit a dozen persons to live in the steel prison for 24 hours without feeling any ill effects.

Mr. Olson, who was for four years patent engineer in the Swedish patent office at Stockholm, but who for the past fifteen years has been engaged in perfecting bank protection and burglary-proof vault devices in Minneapolis, has solved the problem of devising a practical and efficient ventilation system without lessening the burglar proof or fireproof qualities of vaults, or increasing the insurance rate.

Two l^-inch channels are made through the vault wall and into them are inserted rods or plugs of steel which seal them hermetically, but which may be removed from the interior by a slight twist of the connecting levers which automatically set in motion a Zirocco type motor with a special siphonic attachment which draws in pure air from the outside through one opening and expels the impure air through the other. The rods are so firmly held in place by a special locking device when the ventilator is not in use, that they cannot be driven or twisted out of position from the exterior.

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Bottoms Up! (Feb, 1940)

2009-07-02T14:42:17Z

Bottoms Up!
IT LOOKS like an aviator’s nightmare of a mass crack-up, but it’s just the way one airport solves a “parking” problem. Due to lack of space, these light planes are set up on their noses in a hangar at Boston Municipal Airport, their propellers protected from injury by wooden blocks. By using this unique, if unorthodox method, 15 ships can be stored in the same space that five would ordinarily use.

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Mechanical Flying Goose Decorates Radiator Cap (Jan, 1932)

2009-07-02T14:39:44Z

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Mechanical Flying Goose Decorates Radiator Cap

For novelty in radiator ornaments, you’ll have to go a long way to beat this mechanical flying goose. As you speed along in your car, an ingenious arrangement of mechanism in the bird causes it to straighten out and flap its wings to simulate a real live goose in flight.

WHILE your car is standing still this wild goose isn’t so wild. He perches sedately upon the radiator cap surveying the world with a glassy eye. But as soon as you start up and shift into high he flattens out his tail, stretches his neck forward and begins to flap his wings as if he were going somewhere, and going there in a hurry.

There is not a staggering lot of work on this bird, but it is important that all moving parts operate freely. With the exception of small brass rod, a short piece of tubing to fit over it and some sheet duralumin or aluminum, all materials can be picked up in your work shop.

Start with the body. The original was made from a block of sugar pine 1-1/2 in. thick, 2-1/2 in. wide and 4-3/4 in. long. The general shape and inside carving is shown in the underside view in Fig. 1. In hollowing out the body an expansive bit, hack saw and chisel will do the work nicely. A certain amount of fitting will be necessary later when you install the mechanism of neck, wings and tail.

As the wings are first in importance, make and install them before the other parts. The phantom view, Fig. 3, shows how the wings are installed. Cut the wing plane or blade as per the squared diagram, Fig. 3, from sheet duralumin. Tin will do if you have not the lighter material, but it won’t function as smoothly. On the underside secure a section of 3/32 in. brass rod by means of fine wires. You will not be able to solder to duralumin.

Now make a universal joint of a short section of brass tubing soldered to a piece of tin cut as indicated in Fig. 3 for the wing to operate in. This fits into the slot in the side of the body, and is fastened to it by means of the bent ends of the elevating axis driven into the wood. I The principle of operation of the flapping wing is known as “feathering,” and is practically the same as the movements of a sculling oar used at the stern of a boat. This action is illustrated in Fig. 1. Note in the first position that the wing tip is down, but the leading edge is elevated. Thus the air current causes the wing tip to rise. When it reaches the top limit of the second position, or rather while approaching it, the crank arm inside the body is brought against a wood st^p, which tilts the leading edge down, and thus the air current forces the wing tip down again. This flapping operation continues as long as there is a fair wind. The rubber band snaps the wing into proper position as soon as the crank-arm passes the center line.

It is necessary to have the brass rod, or crank-arm shaft, fit nicely in its tube bearing and also to have elevating axis work without much play. Tension of the rubber band will be determined by experiment, as will the location of the wood stops. Bind the rubber bands to the crank-pins with thread and apply model airplane cement also.

Tin will not do for the tail on account of its weight. So large an area must necessarily be above the axis that either duralumin or aluminum must be used. Even at that it must be counterbalanced with a good-sized piece of lead, for this weight must also keep the head erect when at rest, in spite of the fact that the latter, as well as the neck, is made of soft balsa. Added weight can be had by using a fairly heavy wire or brass rod for the connecting link, as illustrated in Fig. 2. It is necessary to swing this link low to clear the wing mechanism. Light piano wire is used for the link between head and body. This is a necessary feature, for otherwise the head would merely lop down in lifeless fashion when the neck is pushed forward. Loops in the piano wire are made by twisting two or three turns around a small nail driven into the workbench.

Use pins or long brads for the axes of head and neck, and be sure the holes are large enough for the parts to move freely. A neat counterbalance weight for the tail is made by rolling a cylindrical piece of lead in an extension of the former, as shown in the drawings. When air currents force the tail to a horizontal position this weight moves up into a recess of the body shown in Fig. 1. Set your goose on a standard of galvanized wire to clip around the radiator cap, and give it a try-out before painting. If the wings flap too high or too low, or both, make the necessary adjustment by using thicker wood stops. You may need to change the tension of the rubber bands for smoother action.

After tests are made, by all means give your goose the very best paint job you know how. Give all wood parts a white ground-coat, and sandpaper smoothly when dry. The bird should, of course, be taken apart for the painting. Next, with a comparatively dry brush—that is, without paint dripping from it—touch in the brown feathers until only the wing tips are left white. Also leave the breast white, as well as the underpart of the body, a portion of the neck and a spot on the side of the head, as shown in Fig. 3. Black, glass-headed pins cut off to about 1/4 in. are used for eyes, and they certainly give this lively fowl a determined look.

With a first rate paint job this radiator ornament will cause much comment.

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If Ruptured… (Sep, 1930)

2009-07-02T14:11:02Z

If Ruptured…

LET ME SEND YOU A FREE SAMPLE OF A STRANGE AIR-BREATHING, FLESH-SOFT SUBSTANCE THAT IS USED IN, A DEVICE THAT HAS ENDED TRUSS TORTURE. FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, BE MODERN! DON’T WEAR DIRTY LEG STRAPS, LEATHER PADS, HARD RUBBER CUSHIONS OR SEVERELY STRAPPED BELTS ANY MORE. DON’T GO THRU’ THE YEARS AFRAID OF EXERCISES — CONSTANTLY HAUNTED BY THE FEAR OF YOUR TRUSS EASILY SLIPPING OFF AND THE RUPTURE “COMING DOWN.”

LEARN HOW A TINY FOUR OUNCE INVENTION BUTTONS RUPTURE WITHOUT CRUEL PRESSURE. GET YOUR FREE SAMPLE OF THIS MATERIAL TODAY. SEE IF MODERN SCIENCE HASN’T CREATED SOMETHING BETTER THAN YOU EVER IMAGINED POSSIBLE. —Mail Coupon Below at Once!

John G. Homan, Director, New Science Institute, 1175 Clay St., Steubenville, Ohio.

Without obligating me in any way, send my free sample of your flesh-soft, air-porous material and full details of your new hygienic method that ends truss cruelty.

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THINKING MACHINES ARE GETTING SMARTER (Oct, 1958)

2009-07-02T14:07:21Z

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THINKING MACHINES ARE GETTING SMARTER

By Robert Strother

AT THE Vanguard Computing Center - in Washington, D. C, I watched a young woman present a machine with an extremely complex problem in ballistics involving hundreds of variables. At once lights on a control panel twinkled and winked as the computer checked to see that all equipment was operating properly. Then it set briskly to work. Magnetic tapes spun in their shiny glass-and-steel vacuum cabinets, the high-speed printer muttered. Suddenly the machine stopped and the electric typewriter wrote: “Last entry improperly stated!”

A little embarrassed, the young operator corrected her error, and the machine started again. Four minutes later it gave an answer that had required several million individual calculations.

“This is a wonderful machine” the girl said, “but it makes you shiver sometimes, especially when you give it a wrong figure. Once in a while we give it an incorrect figure on purpose—just to see it sneer at us.”

The machine was an IBM electronic computer—one of the new “giant brains” which differ from previous computing and tabulating machines in that they function with the speed of light— 186,000 miles per second. They can read, write and calculate simultaneously; they have tenacious “memories” and they can learn by experience. In the last half dozen years these electronic computers have come into wide use to perform miracles that touch the lives of all of us. Most commercial and scientific computer systems are huge affairs that fill a good-sized room which must be air-conditioned and dust-free. The largest digital computers cost from $500,000 to $4,000,000 each and yet they are being produced on an assembly-line basis by several companies. An idea of the complexity of the manufacturing job is given by a single statistic: there are 500,000 electrical connections in a giant computer.

Some machines are sold outright, some are rented, and some are available on a job basis, like a washing machine in a laundry center. Several computing service centers where problems are solved for a fee have been established by the leading U. S. producers in principal cities here and in Europe. Some of the more spectacular uses for computers are in national defense. A ballistic missile in flight, for example, must be in exactly the right position at precisely the right speed when the thrust is cut: An error of one foot per second in speed can cause a one-mile miss at the point of impact.

As it climbs a missile sends radio signals to a computer on the ground, informing it about variations in wind, fuel consumption, center of gravity, temperature, rotation of the earth and a score of other items. The computer figures the effect of these factors and instantly flashes instructions to keep the missile on course. When the great “bird” hits the right speed and is properly trimmed, the computer cuts the motor and the missile coasts at 14,000 miles an hour to its target. No human being could possibly work with the speed and accuracy required by this complex operation.

One of these machines has almost every one of us at its electronic fingertips: Computers at the Social Security Administration in Baltimore keep track of 160 million names and 1,750 billion dollars in wages. Formerly a change in a person’s name, or a transposed serial number, caused trouble. Now the computers know some 25 common sources of trouble—and search for them in order of probable occurrence. Correspondence in this, the world’s largest bookkeeping job, has been greatly reduced and the same staff can handle three times as many accounts.

One of the routine marvels computers are performing nowadays for business is the operation of the Boston home office of the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, where a Remington-Rand Univac II under the direction of five operators keeps all the records on two million policy accounts. The computer selects the accounts on which premiums are coming due, and calculates the amounts owed by matching data from magnetic tapes with premium and interest tables in its memory. It wraps up the job by printing out premium notices, ready for mailing, at the rate of 100 per minute.

Once a week it makes out the home office payroll, figuring income tax, bond purchase, health insurance and other deductions as it writes 7,500 checks an hour.

On the anniversary of each policy, the computer calculates cash values, dividends, loan interest due, or interest payable on accumulated dividends, and prints out a statement.

The present computers grew out of the early tabulating, calculating and teletype machines. Combined into one complete system, and speeded up by electronics, the most advanced of them can solve any problem that can be expressed in writing. Here, briefly, is how they work. An operator types information and instructions on a special typewriter that converts letters and numerals into a code of dots on a magnetic tape. The computer then “reads” these signals and sends them to its central “brain” or “memory”—which consists of thousands of pinhead-size iron doughnuts or cores, each linked electrically to all others.

This “memory” temporarily stores partial answers to a long problem until the computer’s ingenious circuits call them out at the right moment to complete the answers. It also permanently stores for repeated use such standard data as logarithm tables or withholding-tax figures. The actual calculating is then done on orders from an instruction tape that tells the computer precisely what to do with the stored information.

An involved problem may require thousands of steps, but computers make light work of it by performing 40,000 arithmetical operations per second. Electrons flash through the bewildering maze of up to 500,000 circuits and deliver the correct answers to a high-speed printer which types it out at speeds up to 900 lines a minute. The printers are versatile, too: they will express the answer in figures, plain language, or a diagram. And to top it all, the computer automatically checks the accuracy of its own answers. In rare cases of error—dust specks are the usual villains—the machine stops and refigures.

One of the most popular exhibits at the World’s Fair in Brussels is a computer that answers questions in any one of ten languages. The questions are about major historical events in any year from 4 B.C. to the present. A visitor calls out, in German for instance, the years 1480 and 1766. The operator enters these years and the language on the keyboard. In less than a second the machine’s electric typewriter begins printing, in German: “1480—Leonardo da Vinci invented the parachute. 1766—Mozart composed his first opera at the age of 11.”

When a concordance of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible was needed last year a computer was given the task: to identify and list by location and context the Bible’s 800,000 words. The 2,000-page Concordance that resulted contains 350,000 cross references. To prepare the previous Concordance took 30 years. After a few months of preparatory coding, the computer did the job in a few hours.

A computer demonstrated detective talents while indexing the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Concordance technique was used but in many cases the computer had to guess at letters or entire words missing from the crumbling old documents. It did this by analyzing the words preceding and follow- ing each gap. Then it scanned the thousands of index words to find the one that most nearly fitted the context. To test the accuracy of the method, portions of known text were blocked out and the partial sentences given the machine. It replaced correctly as many as five consecutive words.

The giant brain has also been set to work translating the current flood of scientific papers produced in a score of languages. First, every word in a sizable English dictionary is listed on tape under a code number. The Russian, French or German equivalents for each word are given the same number. Then, to translate from Russian to English, for example, a tape with the Russian code numbers is fed into the machine, which matches the numbers and prints out the English. In an early experiment, the computer was asked to translate the English saying “Out of sight, out of mind,” into Russian. The result was startling: “Invisible and insane.” Newer computers are much more sophisticated, and while human editing to rearrange awkward word sequences is still needed, the computer can make hundreds of rough translations in a day.

Computers make business forecasts, prepare weather predictions, run refineries. They hunt up legal precedents, help in the diagnosing of diseases, and compose harmonic but uninspired music. They even help design better computers.

“Computers can be programmed to do almost any mental work a man can spell out,” says Dr. Alan Perlis, one of the mathematician-philosophers who have played key roles in extending the scope of computers. “Each generation of human pupils must be taught afresh, but once you’ve taught any single computer to perform a process, you’ve taught them all, and forever. After a method for solving a certain problem is successfully worked out, it becomes part of the huge library of machine methods now available to users everywhere.”

Manufacturers have been working to give computers larger and faster memories and greater flexibility; they also have sought to realize the goal expressed a decade ago by the late John von Neumann, a trail-blazer in computer development. “Computers must be able to modify their behavior on the basis of their experience,” he said. One of the scientists tackling this problem is Dr. A. L. Samuel, who has taught an electronic computer to play checkers. This has a serious purpose: to train the machine to learn by experience.

The first step was to number the 32 checkerboard squares and the 12 men on each side. Then into the computer’s brain went a few thousand plays, selected from books written by experts—a half-dozen promising moves for every situation. A few instructions were added, and it was ready. The computer politely gives its human opponent the choice of colors, then prints out “Ml 12 16″—indicating the machine’s first move is piece 12 into square 16. Its human opponent replies by punching out the numbers of his play on a card which he gives to the computer.

The machine now runs over all plays open to it. It “mentally” makes a move, calculates what would be the best response for its opponent, figures its next probable move in that case, then the probable reply to that. It carries this procedure forward six steps before printing out the play it has selected. It does all this in 15 seconds and then waits—humming quietly —for its opponent’s next move.

The checker-playing computer keeps every move of every game stored in its “memory,” and it displays uncanny powers: it will sacrifice a piece to gain a future advantage; and it marks the plays that have led to losing games. When it next encounters the same situation, it selects a different move from its repertoire. The result is that it shows improvement in almost every game, and now easily defeats anyone except a real expert. To watch it print: “EXPECT TO WIN IN FIVE MOVES” gives some observers an uneasy feeling.

Computer men, thrilled by the powers of the genie they have created, like to speculate on the tremendous promise it holds for human advancement. “Computers open up scientific possibilities that were unthinkable before,” says Ralph J. Cordiner, Chairman of the Board of General Electric Co. “They will make possible entirely new products and industries. These computer-derived technologies will be a major source of new employment in the coming decades.”

Such leaders as Dr. Simon Ramo of Ramo-Wooldridge believe that the computer, by making vast new areas of knowledge manageable, and by directing operations too fast or too complex and requiring too much speed for a man to handle, will prove to be the most valuable of all the developments of these fast-moving times. No man can foretell what the future holds, but there is no doubt that many of our questions about it will be answered with the speed of light. •

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WHAT YOU WILL WEAR TOMORROW (Oct, 1958)

2009-06-30T16:46:19Z

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WHAT YOU WILL WEAR TOMORROW
By Lester David

MEN’S fashions, long noted for their sepulchral hues and funeral cut, are currently erupting in a major revolution of styles, colors and surprises. Gone are the days of the petrified collar and suits of “cast iron tweed.” New fabrics, new fashions and new fads are the order of the day. Where will it all end?

We asked clothing and industrial designers, textile manufacturers and other experts to peer into their crystal balls and tell us what lies ahead in the field of male fashion. Here are some of their amazing answers: For the immediate future the sunburst of color adopted a few short years ago will get even wilder. According to Baker Case of Hatton Case, a leading men’s wear establishment in New York, waistcoats, Bermuda shorts, sport shirts, cabana outfits and swimming trunks will blaze even louder as the _ seasons go on.

In Hollywood, Sy Devore, who fashions suits for filmdom’s top stars, has already removed breast pockets from men’s suits because he claims they are totally unnecessary. He’s even eliminated the lapel buttonhole. “Absolutely unneeded,” he asserts.

Within the next few years, predicts Bert Bacharach, a leading authority on men’s fashions, you may see the downfall of the Ivy League style. These slender, natural lines, he believes, are as much an exaggeration as the drape cut. Next step, he says, is moderate padding, a bit of a waistline and some semblance of a blade at the shoulders.

What about the distant future? The wonders will continue, experts claim, and before too many years have elapsed episodes like this one may be commonplace: A fellow is out to dinner with his best girl. While staring into her eyes, his hand trembles and a blob of gravy drops on his pants. He just lets it dry, then reaches into a pocket for an eraser and rubs out the spot!

That evening, the same chap surveys himself in a mirror and decides he’d look better in narrower lapels. No fancy tailoring bills for him. He merely takes out a pair of scissors and snips his lapels to the desired width.

He is wearing paper clothes and they are only one of the long-range miracles of masculine [Continued on page 145] fashion foreseen by authorities. Declares Mr. Bacharach: “The changes to come will be utilitarian, not merely a different look. Everything in apparel runs in cycles. We have now reached the zenith of durability in clothes. A suit has a life expectancy of some eight to 12 years. Soon the corner will be turned and suits will have shorter and shorter lives on the theory that men will welcome a good deal of variety in their wardrobes.

‘The ultimate in that phase of the cycle would be a suit a day. That’s right, inexpensive, disposable suits to be tossed in the wastebasket instead of the hamper.

“There will be no buttons to come loose or to lose on these clothes of the future. A small magnet fastened to each side of the jacket will keep the front closed.”

Surprisingly, paper clothes are being produced right now. At the Kimberly-Clark Corp. in Neenah, Wis., technicians are balling up their spattered laboratory smocks and tossing them into a trash can.

These experimental paper clothes can be draped, printed, silk screened and cut and sewn like any other fabric. They can be made to specifications, varying in strength, appearance and texture, and can also be rendered water and flame resistant.

Nor is Kimberly-Clark the only firm experimenting with paper wearables. Cincinnati Industries, Inc., has made a paper bathing suit and a man’s coat and jacket— Ivy League style. Synthetic resins make the material waterproof and opaque. Color can easily be added to this paper fabric, called X-crepe, and the surface can be embossed or printed. It can also be worked exactly like cloth, with sewing, cutting and fancy stitching.

How else can male garb be improved for greater comfort and more efficiency? Officials at Burdick-Rowland Associates, a noted firm of industrial designers, offer these future possibilities.

They suggest a suit made entirely of netting (with the vital areas covered, of course). No part of the netting would touch the wearer. The material would be suspended about a half inch from the body by a simple wire arrangement or small suction cups. What could be cooler for long suffering males in summer?

Another suggestion is clothes with air vents built into them for maximum hot weather comfort. These vents, or air scoops, could be attractively designed and made a part of the suit’s pattern.

A small built-in air-conditioner and de-humidifier operating on transistors would be useful. The jacket housing the device would have to be lightweight and airtight with the neck and sleeves closed.

Communications could also be simplified in the clothing of the future. Ben Fromkin, a Burdick-Rowland designer says, “Why not a two-way telephone built right into the suit, powered by solar light?”

The experts did a lot of cogitating about how to improve men’s shoes. Mr. Fromkin suggests, “Why not high heels which contain a liquid shock absorber. The idea is that each step would not jar the body as much as it does now. The shock absorber would give you a little spring as you walk and the constant battering would be removed from the spinal column, doubtless resulting in fewer backaches.”

Bernard Lazarus, president of King-Size Footwear, a mail order house selling jumbo brogans, thinks stretchable clothing can be an answer to your weight problem. When you gain a few pounds, he reasons, your pants don’t come together in the middle and there’s a tailoring bill for letting them out. Stretch clothing, suits made of an elastic material, would easily accommodate the extra pounds.

What about the vast field of miracle fibers? The authoritative Consumer Reports predicts fibers that will make it unnecessary ever to press or clean a suit. And Dr. Carrol A. Hochwalt, vice president for research, development and engineering of Monsanto Chemical Co., says true synthetic protein fibers may be in the offing.

“These and other test tube fibers still to come,” he says, “will bring new concepts of fashion comfort and economy to the world of fabrics. Filmier than the most gossamer silks, or heavier than the most rugged woolens, they will be practically immune to the effects of age, weather, sunlight and the ravages of insects and decay.”

That, men, is our long-term fashion forecast predicting our New Look. Fashion-wise, things are looking better for us—or at least different—at long last. •

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Jivin’ Up THE JEEP (Nov, 1947)

2009-06-30T16:46:08Z

Jivin’ Up THE JEEP

THE front seats of the jeep are tolerably comfortable, but the shallow, flat rear seat is a notorious back-breaker. It can be improved considerably by installing two pieces of1/2in. plywood, (photo 1, above right), hinged to the bottom of the seat frame. Position the back board to about the angle shown. To the front of the bottom board, attach short wooden feet (photo 2, right) about 10 inches long. The back board can be pushed forward, (photo 3, below) to give access to the hand crank mounted against the rear wall of the jeep.

The original spring bottom seat can be used again (photo 4, below). For back support, use old sofa cushions, or, better yet, life-preserver cushions.

This is the last of a series of four articles dealing with jeep modification. The others appeared in the October, and November, 1946 and April, 1947 issues of Mechanix Illustrated. These articles illustrated a number of ways of improving the utility, appearance and general comfort of this rugged little vehicle.

The Jeep illustrated at the top of the page was further enhanced by the addition of plywood top and sides. The windows are made of plexiglas. •

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Her Brains Didn’t Get in Her Way (Mar, 1953)

2009-06-30T16:45:57Z

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Her Brains Didn’t Get in Her Way

First her I.Q., then her beauty, brought fame and fortune to Vanessa Brown. Now, in Broadway’s funniest hit, she demonstrates that nothing succeeds like sex BY HYMAN GOLDBERG

When a movie called “I’ve Always Loved You” opened several years ago, a young critic named Smylla Brind declared in the student newspaper of the University of California at Los Angeles that Vanessa Brown, the feminine lead, made the picture seem much better than it was. Miss Brown would bear watching, the young critic wrote, for she was certain to make her mark as a serious actress.

A few months ago, when the play “The Seven Year Itch” became an overnight hit on Broadway, the college critic’s judgment was borne out. For New York’s hard-bitten critics described Vanessa Brown’s acting as “a delight,” “a joy to watch,” and “a perfect performance.”

This was highly gratifying to Vanessa Brown, whose real name is Smylla Brind.

Her I.Q. Is in the Genius Class Strange and wonderful things are to be expected from young ladies with Vanessa’s attributes. Vanessa is beautiful and extremely shapely. She has blue eyes and auburn hair. When her I.Q. was taken some years ago, she scored 169, in the genius category. This makes her a definite anomaly in Hollywood, where bust and I.Q. measurements work in reverse.

Among the pictures she has made are “Margie,” “Mother Wore Tights,” and “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.” In “The Late George Apley,” she played Richard Haydn’s daughter. In “The Foxes of Harrow,” she played Haydn’s wife. “I suppose,” she says, “that eventually I’ll play his mother, then his grandmother.”

When Vanessa was fourteen, she made her debut on the legitimate stage in the road company of “Watch on the Rhine.”

At the same time, she became one of the famous “Quiz Kids.”

Vanessa has struggled to live down her Quiz Kid reputation. When she called on Katharine Hepburn to read for a part in a play, Miss Hepburn snapped, “You’re that Quiz Kid, aren’t you?” Vanessa blushed. “Well, if you’re so damn smart, tell me what Shakespeare meant by ‘bearded like the pard’?”

“I had no idea,” says Vanessa, recalling this encounter, “but I’ve never been afraid to make a wild guess, which is very often mistaken for brilliance. So I took a guess. I said, ‘Leopard, bearded like a leopard.’ Miss Hepburn jumped up and yelled. ‘How did you ever know that? Lord, do you know Shakespeare that well?’ But I just smiled, and didn’t say anything, which is also sometimes (continued) taken for brilliance. I got the part, and toured with Miss Hepburn for five months. We got along fine.”

Vanessa Brown got along so well, indeed, that Katharine Hepburn has called her the one young Hollywood actress sure to achieve greatness on the stage.

Elliott Nugent, co-producer of “The Seven Year Itch,” Vanessa’s current play, says he was warned about Vanessa before he heard her read the part. “I was just a little leery,” he says, “about her reputation as a Quiz Kid. I was warned that she was too intellectual and that she’d probably be constantly theorizing and analyzing the play. But I saw from the start that she had just the right combination of innocence and provocativeness for the part, and I found that she is intelligent. But her intelligence was an asset, not a hindrance. She studied the play and her part so thoroughly that she brought depth of character to her portrayal of a girl who is essentially a simple type. You don’t often get that combination of good looks and intelligence in an actress.”

Vanessa, an only child, was born in Vienna. Her father is Dr. Nah Brind, a philologist, or student of languages. “He speaks nine languages,” says Vanessa, “or maybe it’s fourteen; I forget.” Her mother is Dr. Anna Brind, a practicing psychologist. Both her parents earned their doctorates at the University of Vienna, and both now lecture at UCLA. They left Vienna to go to Paris in 1932.

“My father,” says Vanessa, “has a strong historical sense, and he could see trouble brewing. I went to school in Paris, and then, five years later, my father went to America, because he saw that even Paris wasn’t going to be safe. After he had established himself in New York, he sent for Mother and me.

“Just before we left, Mother decided to go back to Vienna to visit her mother. When we came back to Paris we found a cable from Father warning us not to go to Vienna before we left Europe, because it would be too dangerous. That very day, Hitler marched into Austria.”

Vanessa speaks French and German fluently, and gets along fairly well in Italian. Although she was out of school for almost a year while she traveled around the country with the road company of “Watch on the Rhine,” she still managed to graduate from junior high school among the top ten in her class.

She did her schoolwork with the help of five girls who took turns sending her the assignments. She attended Hunter College High School in New York, which accepts only honor students, and then transferred to Hollywood High School when the family moved to Los Angeles after Vanessa was signed to a long-term movie contract. She was graduated from UCLA. She hopes eventually to earn her doctorate. “Everybody in my family is a doctor. I don’t want to be the only one who isn’t.” she says.

Her Husband Has Positive Ideas Her husband is Dr. Robert A. Franklyn, one of Hollywood’s leading plastic surgeons. Dr. Franklyn, a New Yorker who served in the medical corps of the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. is a man with positive opinions. When the management of the hotel in which he was then living objected to, his huge German shepherd dog, he had built for himself a large, ultramodern home, of rock, glass, and rare woods, where he and the dog could live undisturbed.

Several years ago, while Vanessa was in New York, a man serving a summons on Dr. Franklyn in a civil suit involving $100 complained- that he was greeted at the Franklyn house with a revolver shot. Dr. Franklyn said he had been asleep and was awakened by his dog’s barking. “Since I was alone.” he said, “I got my gun. As I walked down the driveway, a man came toward me. mumbling, and I fired into the air to scare him off. I thought he was a burglar, or a prowler, and I called the police.” The incident was settled as a misunderstanding.

Dr. Franklyn and Vanessa met through the good offices of a mutual friend named Martin Abramson, a magazine, radio, and television writer. “I had interviewed both of them before,” says Abramson, “and when I was in Hollywood gathering material for stories, I visited Dr. Franklyn. My wife. Marcia, was with me. She asked him how it was that a man like himself, rich and successful, and with a wide acquaintance among Hollywood beauties, had never married.

” “I’m tired of all this shallow Hollywood glamour.’ he answered. ‘If I could find somebody young and with a cultural background, sexy but innocent, beautiful and clever, glamorous and witty, maybe I could fall in love with her.’ ”

Abramson and his wife stared at each other. “We’re on our way,” said Abramson, “to see the girl you jus! described. Do you know Vanessa Brown?” Dr. Franklyn couldn’t believe such a girl existed, but he went along. Vanessa’s mother engaged Dr. Franklyn in a heated discussion as soon as they were introduced. Plastic surgeons, she maintained, do not give their patients sufficient psychological preparation before their operations. In the midst of the debate. Vanessa announced that she had a date. Dr. Franklyn told her later that he was appalled that she could think of going out with someone else when he was there, but he agreed, nevertheless, to drive her to where she was going.

They were married a year later, and Vanessa moved into Dr. Franklyn’s ultramodern home.

Every two weeks Dr. Franklyn flies to New York to see her, and they call each other two “or three times a day. “We talked about all the money we spend on long-distance telephone calls,” says Vanessa, “so Bob bought stock in the telephone company.

“Of course, being separated like this isn’t the best thing in the world, but it does have its advantages. When we meet every two weeks, it seems like a perpetual honeymoon. And. anyway, it’s Bob’s fault that I’m away from him so long. When I said I wanted to do a play, he picked ‘The Seven Year Itch’ because he thought it wouldn’t run very long.”

Her Husband Requests Glamour Dr. Franklyn. who is ten years older than Vanessa, has guided and influenced her in other ways. Before they were married, Vanessa’s wardrobe ran largely to skirts and sweaters. Her husband, whose taste runs to off-the-shoulder dresses and blouses, taught her to dress more glamorously.

Every night when she comes to the theatre. Vanessa asks what organizations have bought up blocks of tickets. She doesn’t vary her performance to suit the audience, of course, but she likes to know for whom she’s playing because she has lectured to so many different groups.

Vanessa, incidentally, is a startling lecturer for groups expecting a Hollywood beauty who will simply smile and add glamour to their gathering. Vanessa seldom passes up a chance to speak out.

When she was invited recently to attend a meeting of the Nassau County Cancer Committee, who wanted her help in publicizing their cause, she called on a friend of her father’s, a noted cancer expert. She spent several hours with him. absorbing technical information. As a result, the Nassau County Cancer Committee heard a learned lecture on cancer by Vanessa Brown, star of stage, screen, and television.

When she was introduced at the Dutch Treat Club, a luncheon group of New York business and professional men, as “a young lady who thinks like a man.” she took umbrage. “The greatest compliment a man can pay a woman.” she remarked, “is to say that she thinks like a man. But I think that maybe it isn’t such a great compliment, when I look around at the state of the world and consider that men made it that way by thinking like men.”

Though Vanessa Brown is undeniably an intellectual, she is not hesitant in letting it be known that her face and form are lovely to look at. for she well understands the sweet uses of publicity. In “The Seven Year Itch,” she plays the part of a giddy and acquiescent young model who cooperates thoroughly with a married man. whose wife is away in the country, in proving to himself that marriage hasn’t robbed him of his appeal to other women. In the play, Vanessa is supposed to have posed for a photograph in the nude, which she shows to Tom Ewell. who plays the married man.

With this material at hand. Vanessa embarked on a highly successful publicity stunt. She let it be known that since she was going to play the part of a girl who had posed for a nude picture, she thought she should have her picture taken unclothed. Next came word that she was looking for “a respectable married man” to take her picture in the nude. Thousands of photographers volunteered.

Then word came from Hollywood that the picture of Vanessa in the nude had already been made, but that it would not be released. This set off a great debate: Did Vanessa pose in the nude, or did she not?

Recently Vanessa told the story of what actually happened. “It did seem like a good idea,” she says, “so I had pictures made of me in the nude by ‘a respectable married man’—my husband.”

At twenty-five, Vanessa feels, rightly, that she has a long career ahead of her in the movies and on the stage and in television. “But,” she says, “in the American theatre, the accent is on youth. I’ll have to prepare for the time when I won’t be in demand.”

She Writes—and Sells—Stories When that time comes, Vanessa hopes to be established as a writer. She has collected masses of rejection slips, but she lias sold three short stories. And she has written a play, which some people think has merit. “An actress gets old.” she says, “and people don’t want to see her. But a writer improves with age, like brandy.” The End

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TRAMP-METER (Dec, 1946)

2009-06-23T16:38:14Z

TRAMP-METER

TOBY the elephant, despite all his lumbering 10,500 lbs., can stalk his prey more stealthily than any other four-footed creature in the circus. The “tramp-meter” proves it.

With the one exception of the snake charmer’s python, the only other circus member who matches the elephant in lightness of step is the 500-lb. fat lady.

On GE’s electronic vibration meter, Toby rings up only three mils per second vibration. The lion measures 12 mils per second, the hippo 14, the tiger 9, the polar bear 6 and the llama 7.5.

The giraffe, a sad sack who never utters a peep because he has no vocal cords, must speak through his feet for he planks ‘em down exactly twice as hard as the elephant.

The python, who recently proved to have the softest voice or hiss, also takes the prize for the softest tread—1.5 mils.

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Car Owner’s Name on Foot Plate (May, 1932)

2009-06-23T16:35:15Z

Car Owner’s Name on Foot Plate

WITH so many cars on the street just like the one you drive, it is convenient to have some little individuality on yours to make it easily identified from the rest. One way to do this without altering or detracting from the car’s beauty is to use a little foot plate with your name on it. The plate is made of white rubber and is easily installed on the running board, as shown in the photo. This forms an attractive, inexpensive accessory that makes identification simple.

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House Shaped Like Elephant (Jan, 1937)

2009-06-23T18:29:26Z

House Shaped Like Elephant
A HOUSE built in the shape of an elephant is located at Margate City, N. J. Erected in 1882 by James V. Lafferty, the novel home is said to be the only one of its kind. The body is 38 feet long, the circumference, 80 feet. The head is 26 feet long and 48 feet around. Legs are 22 feet long with a diameter of 10 feet. Glass eyes have an 18-inch diameter.

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Foods that build health can be Palate-Tempting (Feb, 1929)

2009-06-22T14:25:41Z

Foods that build health can be Palate-Tempting

RECIPES that actually make your mouth water may now be made from the most healthful of health foods!

At Battle Creek, diet specialists have given attention to the taste and flavor as well as to health. Meatless dishes abounding in strength-giving qualities now rival choicest beef and chicken. Cereals that have a tang of parched wheat or a crunchy crispness call for second helpings. A food drink, rich as milk, makes the most delicious ice cream and salad garnish.

Particularly interesting is Savita. Aside from being one of the richest known sources of Vitamin B, a remarkable blood and nerve-building food, this yeast extract is a boon to every cook.

Savita duplicates the wonderful flavor of chicken, mushrooms and choicest beef. It is ready for instant use for broths, bouillons and soups, sauces, gravies and sandwiches. For years it has been used at the Battle Creek Sanitarium.

Together with the other health foods in the Battle Creek line, Savita is sold by your Health Food Center—usually the leading grocer.

SAVITA — Yeast extract rivaling finest meat flavor.

FIG BRAN — A dainty cereal of bran and luscious figs.

PARAMELS — Creamy caramels of mineral oil.

LAXA — Crunchy biscuits of bran and agar.

MALTED NUTS — Delicious food drink teeming with health.

VITA-WHEAT — Appetizing all-wheat 6-minute porridge.

“ZO” — Toothsome vitamin cereal everyone enjoys. LACTO-DEXTRIN —Refreshing anti-toxic colon food.

PROTOSE — Vegetable meat rich as choicest beef.

BRAN BISCUIT — Crisp, tasty, whole-somebran crackers. PSYLLA—Seeds that supply bulk and lubrication.

Free Diet Service

At Battle Creek we maintain a staff of graduate dietitians to advise you on any diet problem, if you will write to Ida Jean Kain, our chief dietitian, she will send you suggestions for your particular diet. “Healthful Living,” a most interesting and helpful book written by a leading nutrition expert, will be sent free if you write your name and address on the margin of this ad and send it to us. It describes with recipes many of the foods used in the Battle Creek Diet System.

THE BATTLE CREEK FOOD CO., Department 122, Battle Creek, Mich.

BATTLE CREEK SANITARIUM Health foods for Everybody

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Floating Fuel Station for SEAPLANES (Jan, 1931)

2009-06-22T14:23:49Z

Floating Fuel Station for SEAPLANES

IN THE future, when airplane travel comes to be as commonplace as automobile travel, we may expect to see floating filling stations, such as shown in the drawing above, dotting the airplane travel lanes of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This is by no means a fantastic project of dreamers, for already just such floating service stations are to be seen scattered along the Pacific coast; and a west coast oil company, looking to the future, has announced its intentions of establishing a chain of 99 such stations for the accommodation of planes journeying up and down the seaboard.

These floating service stations are marked by neon lighted towers and are equipped to service a plane in any way necessary, their chief function, however, being refueling. A wireless transmitter and receiver keeps the station in constant communication with land, so that weather information and emergency orders can be provided for the pilots. When a pilot wants to take on fuel he brings his ship up alongside the barge, fastens his mooring lines to the mooring post, and swings the hose, which is attached to the projecting fuel arm, into position and signals to the attendant to begin pumping.

The barge is moored in place by means of anchors. All fuel tanks are below decks, with no projection above save for the office at the stern. The fueling pumps are sunk in pits to safeguard the wings of planes moored alongside.

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Plastic Bathtub (Dec, 1947)

2009-06-22T14:23:27Z

Plastic Bathtub is a great time saver, says Dolly Down, nightclub singer, above. You can sun-bathe and water-bathe at the same time. She’s shown here atop a Miami hotel.

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When Wildlife Fights Back… (Oct, 1951)

2009-06-22T14:22:35Z

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When Wildlife Fights Back…

. . . the rabbit can become as dangerous as a raging lion, even a bird can commit mayhem and old Mother Nature turns all her fury upon the hapless hunter molesting her wards.

By Raymond R. Camp

tod and Gun Editor, N. Y. Times THE big brave hunter who arms himself with his trusty gun and journeys forth in search of prey, large and small, all too frequently winds up on the losing end of the game. Every once in a while Mother Nature gets fed up with having her wildlife become the target for scatter shot and copper-jacketed bullets and does a little table-turning. The Happy Hunting Ground is chock-full of nimrods who, if asked, would attribute their sudden demise to such harmless little critters as squirrels.

rabbits, ducks and the like. There are lots of others, still alive, who have been firmly convinced that the woods are just filled with vicious animals intent upon their destruction. And they can prove their point, too.

Take the case of the deer hunter last fall who was offered an opportunity to pick up a nice bear rug for his library. The big black ran across an opening in a beech flat and the hunter snapped a hopeful shot at him. To the surprise of both, the bear folded up. The guide, who had paused at a spring to quench his thirst, appeared at the sound of the shot, and seeing the prone bruin, congratulated his hunter. It was decided that the guide would take a photograph of the hunter seated astride the fallen bear, rifle in one hand and poised hunting knife in the other.

The hunter took his position, the guide began fussing with the camera and the bear, apparently only stunned by the bullet, came to life. The hunter, astride a bear that was now very much alive, had no option but to hang on. He threw away the rifle but clung to the knife, which was a mistake for when he finally lost his seat he buried it to the hilt in his own thigh. In addition to the wound, the incident had a psychological effect upon him and he relives the experience in a nightmare every few weeks, which does not make his home life any happier.

There are few instances on record in which the fox has managed to shed human blood. In England and parts of this country an occasional pink-coated foxhunter tumbles from his horse while pursuing a pack of hounds which in turn is chasing a fox. However, an upstate New York hunter who hunted these animals on foot is now convinced that there is some truth even in the antiquated theory that a worm will turn. Three hunters, each with a pair of foxhounds, met at a designated spot in the hills for the first hunt of the season. The hounds soon were off in full cry in pursuit of a big red fox and the hunters scattered to assorted vantage points. One selected a rocky knoll overlooking a narrow draw which seemed to be an ideal route for a harried fox. And his guess was a good one.

The cry of the hounds came nearer and nearer and in a few minutes the fox appeared at the mouth of the draw, looked quickly around, then scampered up the narrow defile emerging only 20 feet from the hunter who raised his trusty shotgun with dispatch. The fox rolled over at the double blast but a second later regained its feet and ran straight for the hunter.

Unquestionably the animal’s direction was guided by confusion rather than vicious intent but the hunter, having heard tales of rabid foxes, had visions of being subjected to a long and painful injection treatment. His gun empty, he decided his only chance was to outrun the fox. But his route also was influenced by confusion, for he ran right off the rocky ledge. Whether or not the Pasteur treatment would have involved more pain and inconvenience than a broken leg, three broken ribs, a fractured collar bone and the loss of half an ear is a matter for some | debate. The fox, having done his job, proceeded to drop dead of wounds a few feet short of the initial position held by the hunter. The frostbite sustained by the hunter as the result of exposure prior to his discovery by the others is hardly worth mentioning for he was unconscious during the painful period of this malady.

Although there are reputedly quite a few individuals who have traveled to that bourne where the woodbine twineth as the result of the kick of a mule, I have made a careful check of the records and can find only one man who met disaster as the result of the kick of a rabbit. A New England hunter whose pulse was unstirred by the excellent grouse and woodcock shooting in his neighborhood took every opportunity that offered to get out with a pair of beagles in pursuit of rabbits.

On his last hunt the rabbits were unusually plentiful. He and another enthusiast had hunting coats weighted with bunnies when the beagles jumped another cottontail and began driving it through the thickets. After a few moments the rabbit, conforming to pattern, swung back to the point where it had been jumped only to meet a charge of shot from the alert hunter. It crumpled but as the hunter bent down to pick it up, it gave a convulsive jerk and kicked the hunter in the hand. While the blow was not delivered with enough force to be harmful, the hunter decided to deliver the coup de grace by dropping the butt of the shotgun heavily on the animal’s head.

The blow was a solid one and quieted the bunny but it also had sufficient force to affect the gun which went off. The blast almost decapitated the hunter. One of the first precepts of hunting safety was violated when the gun was employed as a club.

Poems have been written and ballads composed on the gentle nature of the deer, especially the doe, which is reputed to have the nature of a saint and the big brown eyes of a friendly spaniel. Up in Maine where the doe is legal game, a hunter had spent several days in the vain search for a buck with a rack of antlers that wouldn’t go into a medium-sized barrel. In desperation on his last day he levelled his barrel at a big doe, touched the trigger, and watched her drop.

Arriving at his prone quarry, the hunter leaned his rifle against a tree, drew his long hunting knife and bent over it. He grasped one ear to raise the head in order to make a cut at the animal’s throat to bleed it out. At this point the doe, apparently only creased on the skull by the bullet, returned to the living and trampled all over the hunter who, in the excitement, managed to cut himself twice with his own knife. Although he was found almost immediately by another hunter who had heard the shot and came to investigate, he spent a number of weeks in the hospital and lost the sight in one eye as a result of the pointed hoof of this gentle creature.

A painful but not fatal incident took place last season involving a duck. There were two gunners shooting from blinds only 30 yards apart. One of these went to sleep and when the ducks finally swept overhead he was snor- ing peacefully. His companion, however, was alert and although he missed an easy incomer, he did manage to bring down a high passing teal. The duck folded up in the air and dropped with a resounding thud on the head of the man in the adjoining blind who had jumped erect, gun ready, at the sound of his companion’s shots. When the duck struck him, he pulled both triggers of his shotgun and the two charges made a perfect pattern on that part of his companion’s anatomy normally employed in sitting. A local doctor spent two hours with tweezers extracting sixty-odd shot.

Only last spring an ardent varmint shooter armed with a new .222 rifle guaranteed to be lethal to woodchucks up to 300 yards, set forth in search of one of these ferocious creatures. After driving the back country roads for a short time he spotted one feeding on a rocky slope and when the rifle cracked the chuck rolled over.

Eager to see whether the bullet struck at the exact point where it had been aimed, the man climbed the slope and bent over to examine the chuck. At the hunter’s touch the chuck’s muscles contracted involuntarily and one of the sharp teeth sunk in the man’s finger. The hunter’s muscles also contracted in surprise and he took a header down a rocky defile, knocking out all of his front teeth and acquiring a compound fracture of the hip and a concussion. The hunter was not found until the following morning and spent two months in the hospital besides a succession of unhappy sessions in the dental chair.

Take the two enthusiastic squirrel shooters who set out for an oak knoll armed with .22-caliber rifles. The first squirrel was a cinch and also the second. The third, however, proved as deadly as a hungry tiger.

One of the hunters, peering carefully up into the branches of the big oak, caught a fleeting glimpse of bushytail as he scurried to the shelter of a high fork. Pointing out the lofty sanctuary to his companion, he moved around the tree to the opposite side and lined up his sights on the gray bulge. When the rifle cracked the squirrel died but a convulsive jerk sent him clear of the tree.

The shooter’s companion, standing with his own rifle at the ready, jumped when the dead squirrel struck him squarely on the head with a considerable smack. His reaction was transmitted to his index finger which rested on the trigger. He shot and the bullet went straight through the heart of his companion.

In view of these circumstances and others too numerous to mention, be wary on your next hunting trip into the woods lest Mother Nature decide that she has had enough and that it’s about time for you to become the target for wildlife’s revenge. •

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MI Tests the 1950 Studebaker (Nov, 1949)

2009-06-20T03:50:38Z

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MI Tests the 1950 Studebaker

“One of the best dollar values today,” says Tom McCahill. They’re not the fastest cars on the road but they’re tops in comfort and quality.

THE new, needle-nose Studebaker gives the boys of the Big Three something to shoot at. Back in ‘46, with the introduction of the 1947 Studebaker designed by Raymond Loewy, this first real post-war auto stirred up the populace. And now, once again, Loewy has set the pace with the 1950 Studebaker.

To this writer, however, it looks like the Studebaker people did a bit of borrowing themselves for a change. Most of us knew it would be just a matter of months before the Tucker “turkey” was laid on the Thanksgiving table for carving. Well, it appears as how Studebaker has started the dissection rolling by slicing off the Tucker nose as their helping. When I was first asked by a Studebaker executive what I thought of the new car I told him, “Though it’s not exact, the front looks as though Tucker must have passed through South Bend on a bicycle.” He quickly pointed out that I was wrong and said he could prove how it varied. But I’ll stick to my guns and say again that, to my eyes anyway, it looks like the turkey is on the table.

Don’t think for a moment I disapprove of the Studebaker beak. With the Tucker out of the picture, I think this new Studie is the best looking car in its class. It certainly proves that the boys of this independent company are wide awake and still way ahead of the competition in design. This is no small feat for any outfit to pull off four years in a row.

There have been other changes in the 1950 Studebakers, such as an increase in the wheel base (one inch on all models) and much better front-end suspension. The rear of the car has undergone some modification too. There’s a large, new tail light and a general refinement of all hardware All four fenders are individually bolted on, so that in the event of a minor crash, an entire new side is not required. Today, this is a feature well worth considering. The horsepower has also been jacked up. Taking everything into consideration, the new jobs are better cars than previous models. And, as most Studebaker fans know, there was very little wrong with them before.

The dash or instrument board is several inches further forward than in the past. Incidentally, the Tucker dash was way forward too. Enough of this small talk, though, let’s drive the car!

Undoubtedly the unhappiest man in South Bend was Bill Ay res of the Studebaker public relations staff on the day I arrived. Usually, I drive to the factories for tests but this time I elected to go by rail. My train pulled into South Bend just after six in the morning [Continued on page 140] and there was poor Ayres, waiting to greet me. We discussed company plans and particularly Studebakers version of the automatic transmission which will make its debut on the Commander and Land Cruiser in early 1950. Then we made arrangements for me to test these cars in California next winter. Until then, I have sworn to make like a sphinx. So for now, back to little needle nose.

We drove to the 850-acre proving ground, one of the best in the country. I was offered my choice of cars, all thoroughly broken in. I selected the four-door Champion which is the low man on the Studebaker totem pole.

Before I had made more than two laps of the three-mile track, I realized the new Champion has a lot more punch and handles much better at high speeds than its predecessors. The horsepower has been raised to 85 from the former approximate 80 and this has made a considerable difference.

Improved performance was also noticeable when I drove into tough curves at 80 mph and got around without any effort. This was a near impossibility with previous models which had looser front-end suspension. In all, I drove about 50 miles at high speeds on the track. Then I headed for a short half-mile dirt course.

On the dirt, I spun around corners with all wheels screaming but had the car under full control at all times. When this was over, I made several dry side skids doing about 70 and found I could snap it out at any time. The Champion is a remarkably fine handling car.

From the dust track, I headed for some rough South Bend roads which could snap the neck off a Japanese beetle. About ten miles of this proved to me that the Studebaker is probably the finest riding car in its price range made in America today. The car I tested was equipped with a standard three-speed transmission. Overdrive is available at extra cost and would add a mile or two to the top speed. In conventional range (always lower when overdrive is used) acceleration figures would drop anywhere from a half-second to a full second on each run.

I headed for the water trough for a grand finale. Cars are tested there not only for leaks but to find out if they can stand a good dousing. The Studie passed with flying colors.

I like the Studebakers and I like the company that makes them. They are not the fastest cars on the road but that feature is not too important to many buyers. They are, on the other hand, tops in comfort and quality. They’re rugged, reliable, good looking and one of the best dollar values in a car today. •

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Artificial Silk Made From Air (Feb, 1931)

2009-06-20T03:49:01Z

Artificial Silk Made From Air

PROF. Harold Hibbert, of McGill University, Montreal, has completed successful experiments whereby he is able to spin out artificial silk from the atmosphere. The constitutents in the air with which he dealt were water and carbon dioxide. With this new method, artificial silk, cotton and paper can be manufactured without the use of the cotton plant or the spruce tree.

“It has long been known,” explains Prof. Hibbert, “that the plant forms sugar from the carbon dioxide and water in the atmosphere. The most difficult step of our experiment was in finding a method of converting the sugar and other natural plant products into the cellulose which is the principal ingredient of wood and paper, and the substance from which artificial silk is made. After years of experimenting, this step was brought about by adding a common bacterium to the sugar.

“Furthermore this discovery also means that it is now possible to take ordinary cane and other sugars and convert them into cellulose and make artificial silk, cotton and wood. The discovery of this process has been the subject of exhaustive study and research on my part for years.”

The industrial and commercial possibilities which are latent in these scientific findings remain immeasurable, Prof. Hibbert believes.

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Fishermen Now Radiophone to Families (Feb, 1933)

2009-06-20T03:48:35Z

Fishermen Now Radiophone to Families

DEEP sea fishermen spend a large portion of their lives isolated on the ocean, out of touch with land for days and days on end. A new two way radio telephone, especially designed, for installation in fishing boats has now broken down this barrier of space, permitting the sailors to speak to their friends and families ashore.

How the combined receiver and transmitter operates is illustrated in the artist’s drawing above. No trained radio man is necessary to put through a call. The fisherman simply presses a button and connects up with a land station, which hooks him up to the city telephone system. Engineers are planning on installing many of these instruments on American fishing boats cruising the East coast areas.

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A Distinguished Symbol of Social Prestige (Feb, 1929)

2009-06-20T03:48:07Z

A Distinguished Symbol of Social Prestige

You have only to pause where the smartest people congregate, you have only to check the social register, and you will inevitably discover a preponderance of Cadillacs and La Salles . . . The simple, bald fact about this is that men and women who know motor cars know too that if they want to ride and drive as Cadillac-La Salle ride and drive they must eliminate every other car from consideration . . . For the truth of all truths about Cadillac-La Salle—and something that you know full well — is just this: it is because of inherent and surpassing excellence that there is no substitute for the priceless possession and prestige of a Cadillac-built car . . . De luxe Fisher and Fleetwood coach work render La Salle—with the single exception of Cadillac itself—the most luxurious motoring in the world . . . La Salle is priced from $2295 to $2875 f.o.b. Detroit. Cadillac-La Salle dealers welcome business on the General Motors Deferred Payment Plan.

CADILLAC MOTOR CAR COMPANY
Division of General Motors
Detroit, Michigan | Oshawa, Canada

La Salle

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Modern Mechanix

EAST INDIAN MERRY-GO-ROUND (Feb, 1929)

Crossing The Atlantic (Feb, 1946)

TV camera gets power from battery pack (Apr, 1964)

Talking Devices are Revolutionizing Movies! (Feb, 1929)

NEW IMPORTS FOR ‘59 (Oct, 1958)

There’s Still Room For The Fireman (Feb, 1940)

Your Own Mail Order Busines (Oct, 1958)

NEW on the ROAD (Nov, 1949)

PIPE FOR FALSE TEETH SMOKERS (Feb, 1929)

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If Ruptured… (Sep, 1930)

THINKING MACHINES ARE GETTING SMARTER (Oct, 1958)

WHAT YOU WILL WEAR TOMORROW (Oct, 1958)

Jivin’ Up THE JEEP (Nov, 1947)

Her Brains Didn’t Get in Her Way (Mar, 1953)

TRAMP-METER (Dec, 1946)

Car Owner’s Name on Foot Plate (May, 1932)

House Shaped Like Elephant (Jan, 1937)

Foods that build health can be Palate-Tempting (Feb, 1929)

Floating Fuel Station for SEAPLANES (Jan, 1931)

Plastic Bathtub (Dec, 1947)

When Wildlife Fights Back… (Oct, 1951)

MI Tests the 1950 Studebaker (Nov, 1949)

Related posts

Artificial Silk Made From Air (Feb, 1931)

Fishermen Now Radiophone to Families (Feb, 1933)

A Distinguished Symbol of Social Prestige (Feb, 1929)